Sustainable Farm Tour & Northern Italian Cooking Class in Asti

The best part of this Asti-area experience is that the meal starts in the soil. Vivi takes you around her sustainable farm, where you gather herbs and vegetables, meet the chickens and friendly geese, then turn those ingredients into a home-cooked northern Italian meal. I like the hands-on foraging and the chance to learn how wild plants are identified and used. I also like that the class is private, so Vivi can shape the pace for your group.

The main thing to consider is the setting. You will spend time outdoors, sometimes down on your hands and knees, and the house has no air conditioning. The listed visit lasts about four hours, but a relaxed meal and long conversation can stretch much longer.

Key points to know before you book

• Foraging comes first: You collect wild herbs and vegetables with Vivi before cooking them.
• A real family kitchen: The class takes place in Vivi’s home, not a large commercial school.
• Pasta is central: You may prepare homemade pasta alla chitarra or gnocchi.
• The farm is part of the lesson: Chickens, geese, gardens, fruit trees, and hazelnuts all help explain how the household works.
• Private and flexible: Only your own group participates, with English offered.
• Plan for country conditions: Wear pants and a T-shirt, expect outdoor work, and arrange your own transport to Priocca.

A farm visit that begins with the wild herbs

This is not a cooking class where ingredients arrive in neat bowls before you take your seat. At Agriturismo Serra dei Costa, near Priocca in Piedmont’s Asti area, Vivi starts by showing you how food grows around her home.

Her farm includes vegetable gardens, fruit trees, hazelnuts, apricots, chickens, and geese. You walk the property with her and help gather ingredients for the meal. The work gives the class a clear sense of place. You are not simply making an Italian dish in Italy. You are learning how one household connects its garden, animals, wild plants, and kitchen.

I especially like this approach for anyone curious about local food beyond restaurant menus. It lets you see the small decisions behind the meal, from choosing plants to enriching soil through replanting. Vivi also explains how she encourages a healthy ecosystem that supports new growth.

The farm visit is not meant to be a formal agricultural lecture. It is a practical walk with someone who uses the land every day. You learn through touch, sight, smell, and taste, with Vivi showing you how to recognize useful wild herbs through all five senses.

Gathering ingredients with Vivi

The foraging portion is one of the most unusual parts of the experience. Vivi points out wild herbs and vegetables, explains their traditional uses, and discusses the properties associated with the plants you find. You then collect selected ingredients for the cooking session.

This makes the class especially useful if you want to take a skill home with you. You are not only memorizing the name of a plant. You are learning what to look for and how to distinguish it in the field. That said, the lesson stays tied to this farm and this meal. It is not presented as a formal certification course in foraging, so you should follow Vivi’s instructions closely and avoid treating the experience as permission to identify plants on your own elsewhere.

Dress for the activity rather than for a polished restaurant meal. One couple specifically advised wearing pants and a T-shirt because you may be on your hands and knees while picking herbs from the soil. Comfortable outdoor clothing will also make it easier to move around the farm and garden.

The animals add charm without taking over the visit. You can meet Vivi’s chickens and friendly geese, including geese that have been described as especially talkative. For families, this gives children something concrete to see while they learn where ingredients come from.

Sustainable farming in plain language

Vivi’s farming methods are part of the experience, not just a backdrop. She explains how replanting helps enrich the soil and how she works toward a healthy system that encourages growth. You get a close look at a small-scale approach to food production, with the garden, trees, animals, and kitchen all linked.

I value this because the word sustainable can mean almost anything on a tour listing. Here, you receive specific examples of what Vivi does on her own land. You see the plants, hear about the soil, and connect those practices to the food you later eat.

Do not expect a large working farm with machinery or a full tour of every production area. The appeal is personal and domestic. You are visiting Vivi’s home and learning how she lives with the land around it.

From garden ingredients to handmade pasta

After collecting ingredients, you move into Vivi’s home kitchen for the cooking class. The sample menu includes homemade pasta alla chitarra or gnocchi, along with fresh vegetables and wild herbs. The exact dishes may vary, since the cooking depends partly on what is available in the garden.

The pasta option gives you a classic northern Italian focus. Gnocchi offers a different kind of hands-on work, with a soft dough that turns simple ingredients into a filling meal. Pasta alla chitarra has a distinctive shape made with a chitarra, or guitar-style pasta cutter, and makes the lesson feel tied to Italian home cooking rather than a generic pasta demonstration.

The meal can include several small tasks. One visit featured gnocchi, tiramisu, vegetable soup, homemade bread, an herb and egg salad, and pasta with a light tomato sauce. The account of that menu also noted that everything except the flour came from Vivi’s farm. Treat that as an example rather than a guaranteed menu, but it shows how broad the session can become.

You may be asked to help with different parts of the meal. That is a strength if you want to cook, not simply watch. It also means the class may feel less polished and choreographed than a standard culinary school lesson. The tradeoff is a more natural home visit with more room for conversation and shared work.

Eating what you helped prepare

The meal is the payoff, but it is also part of the teaching. Once the cooking is done, you sit down with Vivi and eat the dishes made by your group. Alcoholic beverages and gratuities are included in the price.

The menu leans toward simple ingredients used carefully: fresh vegetables, wild herbs, pasta, gnocchi, and other home-cooked dishes. The appeal is not elaborate restaurant presentation. It is the connection between the garden walk and the food on your plate.

A scheduled four-hour visit gives you enough time for the farm walk, cooking, and meal. Still, allow extra flexibility if you can. One group expected four hours but ended up spending six to seven hours talking and eating because the visit became a long social occasion. That is not a promise that every booking will run that long, but it tells you something useful about the tone. This is a hosted home experience, not a tightly timed class where everyone leaves at the final minute.

If you have another appointment soon after, build in a buffer. If you enjoy slow meals and conversation, the open-ended feel may be one of the visit’s best features.

What makes the private format worthwhile

Only your group participates, which changes the rhythm of the class. You do not have to keep up with a large group, and Vivi can give more attention to your cooking level and questions. The class is designed for experienced cooks, beginners, adults, and children.

That flexibility matters. A confident cook can focus on technique and ingredients, while a novice can take part without feeling behind. Children may appreciate the animals, gardens, and collecting, then have a clear role in the kitchen.

The private format also helps preserve the feeling of visiting a local home. You are not being moved from station to station with a crowd. The visit can develop around the plants, dishes, and conversations that interest your own group.

There is a small downside. A home-based class may be less uniform than a professional school. The menu, pace, and length can depend on the day, the season, and the available ingredients. I see that as part of the appeal, but book it for personal contact and local food knowledge, not for a tightly standardized lesson.

Price, timing, and getting there

The cost is $170 per person for about four hours. That is a serious price for a cooking class, but it includes several parts: a private farm visit, foraging, the cooking lesson, the meal, alcoholic beverages, and gratuities.

I think the value is strongest if you would otherwise pay separately for a cooking class and a countryside excursion. You are getting time with a host, food, outdoor activity, and a meal built around ingredients from the property. The price is less compelling if you only want to learn one pasta recipe and leave quickly.

You meet at Agriturismo Serra dei Costa, Strada Serra dei Costa, 2/A, 12040 Priocca CN, Italy. The experience ends back at the same meeting point. Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included, so you need to arrange your own way there and back.

The activity is offered in English and uses a mobile ticket. Confirmation is sent within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability. Since the tour is booked an average of 13 days ahead, reserving before your trip is sensible if your dates are fixed.

The residence has no air conditioning, as is common in many Italian homes. That matters most during hot weather, especially once cooking begins. Dress comfortably and be ready for a warm kitchen if you visit in summer.

Who will enjoy this most

I would choose this experience for you if you care about food, gardens, rural life, and personal contact. It suits couples looking for a quieter day away from major sights, families who want children to see how food grows, and beginner cooks who prefer learning by doing.

It is also a good fit if you like unusual activities. The combination of plant identification, sustainable farming, animals, pasta, and a shared meal is far removed from a standard city cooking class.

You may want to skip it if you dislike outdoor work, have little patience for a slow meal, or need a fixed end time. The farm walk can be physical in a small way, and the class may run beyond its planned four hours. You should also be comfortable visiting a private home without the air-conditioned comfort of a modern culinary studio.

Service animals are allowed. The information provided does not specify broader accessibility details, so contact the provider if your group needs particular arrangements.

Cancellation and planning advice

You can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before the experience start time. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the start are not accepted for a refund, and cut-off times follow local time.

For the day itself, wear pants and a T-shirt or other clothing suitable for bending and working in a garden. Bring a flexible attitude, especially if you hope to linger over the meal. The visit is private, but it is still a working farm and home rather than a staged attraction.

Should you book this Piedmont cooking class?

Book it if you want your Italian food experience to begin with soil, herbs, animals, and a real family kitchen. Vivi’s strongest contribution is the link between her farm practices and the food you prepare. You leave with more than a plate of pasta: you gain a better sense of how wild plants, gardens, and home cooking fit together.

At $170 per person, this is not the cheapest way to make gnocchi. It becomes good value when you want the whole half-day experience, including the private setting, farm walk, meal, drinks, and long conversation.

Skip it if you prefer a polished, predictable class with air conditioning and a firm finish. But if you are happy to bend down for herbs, share kitchen tasks, and let the day unfold at a local home near Asti, this is an unusually personal taste of Piedmont.

FAQ

Where does the experience begin?

It begins at Agriturismo Serra dei Costa, Strada Serra dei Costa, 2/A, 12040 Priocca CN, Italy.

Where does the experience end?

The activity ends back at the meeting point.

How long does the experience last?

The scheduled duration is approximately four hours.

Can the experience last longer than four hours?

It can. The planned duration is about four hours, but the cooking and meal may continue longer if the group spends extra time talking and eating.

Is the tour private?

Yes. Only your group participates in the tour and cooking class.

Is the experience offered in English?

Yes, English is offered.

What food might I prepare?

The sample menu includes homemade pasta alla chitarra or gnocchi, fresh vegetables, and wild herbs. Other dishes described for the class include vegetable soup, homemade bread, herb and egg salad, pasta with tomato sauce, and tiramisu.

Are drinks included?

Yes. Alcoholic beverages are included.

Is hotel pickup included?

No. Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included, so you must arrange your own transportation to and from the meeting point.

Is air conditioning available?

No. The residence does not have air conditioning.

Can children join the class?

Yes. The class is described as suitable for adults and children, as well as experienced and novice cooks.

Are service animals allowed?

Yes. Service animals are allowed.

What should I wear?

Wear practical clothing for outdoor foraging. Pants and a T-shirt are recommended because you may spend time on your hands and knees collecting herbs.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes. You can cancel at least 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Changes or cancellations made less than 24 hours before the start are not accepted for a refund.